Bye Bye Beautiful
by Marine L. Girard
Summary: Before Septimus became a cold, heartless man who killed his brothers, he was a young man who had great promise in becoming King. He lost his heart long before Yvaine fell from the sky, before Una disappeared. The cause, a young blind healer. SeptimusxOC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, everything is Nightwish this time. The story title, the chapter names, everything. Shall we say that Nightwish is where I got all my insperation for this story. **

**Be forewarned. I'm a little tired of writing right now after a seventeen chapter story so the writing in this might not be so hot. You'll have to bare with me.**

**Enjoy =)**

Chapter 1—Nemo

"How far into the woods do you want to go?" the young girl asked, leading the horse by the reins. Cecilia sat sideways on a saddle specially made for a side rider and smiled. Her long, straight hair was tied back out of her face. Not that it mattered to her, even if she ever opened her eyes, she still would not be able to see anything if it was held right in front of her eyes.

"Only go as far in as you dare while still being able to find your way back to the cottage," the woman replied to her young helper. By the sound of the wind through the leaves on the trees and the decrease of the force of the sea breeze against her skin, Cecilia knew they had already entered the forest. She kept her hand on the horn of the saddle, afraid she would lose her balance and fall off at any moment. After the many times she had ridden her horse, the feel of the motion of the muscles in the animal's body and the shift between the legs as it walked made her more than a little nervous. She suspected it had something to do with her inability to see, but she could not be sure.

For as long as she could remember, she had been blind. Perhaps that was why her parents named her Cecilia. When she got old enough to be curious, she had someone look up the meaning of her name and she discovered that Cecilia meant "the blind one." This piece of evidence had led her to believe she was blind since birth. Why else would her namesake fit her so well? It was the only logical conclusion she could come to.

Now, what happened to her parents, that was a different story. She had never known her parents and had always assumed they died when she was very young. Cecilia had no memories of them so it was all she could think of, and all she had to justify why she never knew them.

The young healer nervously removed one of her hands from the saddle horn to feel the course, thick hair of the horse's mane. She ran her fingers through it and noticed that the animal was in serious need of a grooming. There were many tangles and knots in the mane and her fingers got caught on them several times. She figured that when she returned to her cottage, she would have her young assistant guide her to the stable so she could groom her mount.

"Mistress, I think I found some herbs that we need." The girl's voice rang sweetly through the silence of the empty forest. Cecilia nearly jumped and fell off her horse from the sudden interruption of her thoughts. Smiling, she reached out in the direction she had heard the little voice, one hand still on the saddle horn.

"Place a leaf of the plant in my hand. I'll see if it really is something we need or not." She heard a bustling to her left as the girl ripped off a leaf. The sudden pressure pushing her arm down to the ground indicated that the girl placed the leaf in her hand. As soon as the pressure arrived, it was gone and the jagged outline of a plant leaf remained in her palm. She released her grip on the horn and ran her fingers along the veined skin of the leaf. It was large, almost as big as her palm. The skin was fuzzy, almost like the fuzz on the skin of a peach. The water veins were small but there were many of them and the long stem was large and stretched to the very tip of the leaf. She ran the tip of her fingers along the edges of the leaf to find that they were razor sharp and jagged.

Finally, she brought the leaf up to her nose and sniffed it. It smelled strongly of cedar and had a brisk scent of stream water. She licked it. It tasted bitter and sharply sour. Cecilia wrinkled her features in a face she assumed meant disgust and handed the leaf back to the young girl who guided her through the woods.

"This is what we're looking for," she said. "Gather a few stems full of the leaves and place them in the bag you brought with you." She knew the girl obeyed her when the sound of a knife sliding out of its sheath and the sound of the blade cutting through green stems could be heard from her place on her saddle.

Returning her grip on the saddle horn, the two of them continued their search through the woods for herbs and plants to help with healing. A few times, they came across plants that would do no good for her and she ordered her assistant to leave them be. Those plants would only cause death to anyone who attempted to use them. Aside from the few failures, they did find all they needed and on the return trip to the cottage they lived in by a sea cliff, Cecilia's assistant drew her attention to something rather odd.

"Mistress, what do you suppose that is?"

Cecilia knitted her eyebrows together. "I have no idea," she commented. "If I could see it, I would tell you."

The girl seemed flustered next she spoke. "I'm sorry, ma'am!" she blurted out. Cecilia could not help but smirk at the girl's embarrassment. "Sometimes I forget you are blind!"

The young healer shrugged. "It is quite alright," she said reassuringly. "Now, what is this sight you were mentioning?"

"Do you want me to guide you over there?"

Cecilia nodded. "That would be a good idea. Help me off the horse."

She held her hand out for the girl to take. The girl's hands were small, showing that she was still young, no older than fifteen years of age but definitely younger. With the girl's help, she was able to find the stirrups of the saddle and stand tall on firm ground. The girl's hand was still held in her larger hand when she stood up and soon she was being dragged off in a new direction.

"Which way are we going?"she asked. She felt cool leaves graze her cheeks and stray branches scratch her bare arms exposed by her sleeveless dress.

"I believe north of the road," the girl replied. Cecilia did not bother to nod. At the moment, she was too busy concentrating on not tripping over fallen logs or small bushes that seemed to jump up at her from out of nowhere. Being blind at times seemed like a blessing and at other times seemed like a curse.

"We're here," her assistant said soon after they headed into the forest. Cecilia released her hand from the girl's grip and groped around for a tree to lean on. When she found it, she moved her head around as if she were searching for something but knew she was not going to find anything even if she opened her eyes.

"Where is it?" she asked innocently.

"Right in front of you, Mistress," her assistant replied. "Just squat down and you will feel it."

Cecilia did as her assistant suggested and squatted down, holding her hand out in front of her, her other hand resting on her thigh, as she groped about for whatever it was the girl had seen. Cecilia inhaled sharply when she laid her hands upon the object in front of her. Her fingers gripped thick, wavy hair and ran over smooth, yet craggy skin, a strong nose, and wide jaw. It was a man, an unconscious man left in the forest.

He was injured, judging by the thick, warm liquid she got all over her fingers after feeling his forehead along his hairline and running her fingers down his body. A wound bled from his side and one on his head indicated he had recently been in a fight and left to die after losing. He smelled of dried sweat and blood. The stench wafted up her nose and made her want to gag. She was surprised she did not smell it when she was standing right above him.

"Help me," she told her assistant as she stood up. "We need to get him back to the cottage."

---

Cecilia sat at the edge of the bed she and her young assistant had placed the injured man from the forest. When they had successfully placed the strange man on the horse's saddle and brought him home, they had placed him in her own bed after removing his thick clothes. The feel of the clothes intrigued her. The fabric felt neat and expensive. She had come to the conclusion that the man they found was a rather rich man. But she placed the thought of the clothes in the back of her mind, at the moment she had to concentrate on healing the man's wounds.

The young healer ran her hands over the man's torso. He was well built, his arms strong and muscular from years of practice with a sword, his abdominal muscles nicely toned with a healthy layer of fat between his muscles and skin. His pectorals were firm and perfectly proportioned to the rest of his body and his neck thick and strong. His skin was smooth under her palms, only a few scars disfigured his skin; one large one ran across his chest while a few smaller ones graced his arms and stomach. From what she could determine, he was a rather handsome man.

She was feeling the man's body for any more injuries than the ones she had found in the forest. So far, there were none to be found; on his upper body, anyway. After cleaning up the blood from his head and side with a wet cloth, she ran her hands all the way down his body to his feet. She wanted to know what he looked like and she could not do that without running her hands all over his body.

When she reached his boots, she quickly ran the tips of her fingers over the soft leather before pulling them off his feet and feeling his toes. His feet were big, but not monstrously huge. They were normal sized for a man, or so she assumed, and a lot bigger than her feet. Calluses had built up on the bottom of his feet from years of riding and possible traveling. It was impossible for Cecilia to tell without asking the man herself. The skin was stretched tight over the top of his feet and his bones and tendons could be felt through the thin layer of covering.

Cecilia's little assistant was grinding a healing paste at the table behind her as she undid the ties at her patient's waist. The sound of the grinding stone against the wood bowl was ominous behind her. She stripped the man naked, tossing his pants in a pile at the foot of the bed while the smells of the herbs the girl used wafted over to Cecilia's keen nose.

"You're using the wrong herbs," she said, feeling the man's hairy thigh, squeezing his taught muscles to feel if they were torn as well as ligaments and internal bleeding. She smiled when the sound of the girl turning around in her chair reached her sharp ears.

"How are you able to tell?" the girl asked.

"Leola, you know I can smell it from here," she replied with her unfaltering smile. She finished inspecting the man's left leg and, finding nothing wrong, moved on to the right. "You're using the Ragglebelt stem, you want to be using the Grugar Leaves."

Leola's annoyed groan drifted to Cecilia's ears. The young healer sighed patiently when the girl asked: "What is the difference? Aren't they both used for healing?"

Cecilia finished up feeling for injuries in the man's legs and pulled a thin sheet over his body, folding it down to keep his torso exposed. "The juice from the Ragglebelt stem is used to bring down high fevers where as crushed Grugar Leaves work wonders for external injuries. If he ever contracts a fever, we will use the Ragglebelt stem."

"But, I could have sworn you told me otherwise," Leola complained.

"I have never told you the wrong thing," the young healer told her assistant. "I am never wrong when it comes to healing herbs. You have probably just forgotten."

A low growl could be heard from the girl. Cecilia knew she had resumed her work soon after when the sound of the grinding stone rubbing against the bowl could be heard behind her. Leola's parents did right when they named their daughter. Leola was as unrelenting and stubborn as a lion. She was also very courageous, more so than Cecilia ever hoped to be. For a girl of fourteen years old, she held more courage and stubbornness than a soldier of Stormhold. She was truly a marvel to behold.

While she waited for the paste from Leola, Cecilia busied herself with studying the unconscious man's face. She felt every small feature of his face carefully, not wanting to miss any details. Her trained touch felt even the smallest scars that ruined his seemingly perfect skin. His features were craggy and weathered from long days outside and it gave him a rather rugged attractiveness to him that Cecilia thought was a rather nice attribute. It contributed nicely to his handsomeness she could not see along with his nicely toned muscles. She longed to know the man's name, to know who he was and where he came from. He was a mystery to her, a mystery she had a great desire to solve.

---

The young healer loved the feel of straw beneath her bare feet when she walked through the barn next to her small cottage. She smiled when the sounds of songbirds singing in the morning entered the barn as she walked slowly to the door. Because the man she and Leola had found in the forest was taking up Cecilia's bed, she had to sleep in the stables until he was able to move again.

A few days before, Cecilia, with the help of her little assistant Leola, had smeared the healing paste onto his bleeding injuries before wrapping them tightly with cotton bandages. When she had finished, she had taken up the man's clothes and ran the fancy cloth through her fingers, enjoying the feel of the fabric against her skin. It must be nice to be able to indulge in such fancy items.

Currently, Cecilia exited the stable and cautiously made her way to her cottage, feeling her way there by the feel of the dirt path beneath her feet and the soft grass that told her she was wandering from the path. When she reached the front door to her cottage, she opened it slowly and entered the thatched building. Once inside, she could move about freely without worry of getting lost or bumping into anything. She knew her home like the back of her hand. Unless Leola had left anything out of place, which she was constantly reminded not to do for she would be severely punished, Cecilia would never trip over anything and fall on her face.

Finding the chair that was placed next to the bed the man lay in, she sat down and ran her hands over the body in search of the bandages she had placed around the injuries. Finding them, she took a knife from a table next to the bed and cut the cotton bandages free of the wounds. She wet a cloth and rubbing it against his skin, wiped the gooey paste from the wounds, she then felt over the skin. A smile graced her lips when she felt the now healed skin where blood and puss had been only the day before. What a miracle her herbs did to physical abrasions.

Tossing the bandages aside, Cecilia ran her hands up the man's bare chest, resting it over his heart, feeling the subtle thumping of his heart and the slow rising and falling of his chest as he breathed evenly. His condition was much better than it had been when she had first laid him down on the bed. Satisfied with his condition, the young healer stood up and moved her body over his. Her hands felt his face, her fingers feeling his closed eyes so she would be able to tell if what she was about to try worked or not.

She lowered her face near his, his hot breath hit her face. His scent seemed new and interesting to her. It was fancy as if rich perfumes had just been used on him but it also had the scent of the forest, of grasses in the hills and pine trees of the high mountains. He was obviously a rich man traveling through Stormhold without a fancy entourage.

Keeping her fingers on his eyelids, she bent down and gently pressed her soft lips to his rough, chapped lips. She breathed into his mouth and almost immediately, she felt his lids flutter open and she removed her fingers from his eyes. Cecilia kept her lips on his, making sure he was wide awake before letting him go. She could not risk him falling back into unconsciousness while she could help it. As soon as she felt him begin to struggle against her, she released him and sat back down on her chair.

"What the hell are you doing!" he demanded. His voice was strong and slightly gravely. It seemed to fit his features.

"Healing you," Cecilia replied honestly. "You had taken quite a beating in the forest. I merely helped you out."

"No. I mean, what were you doing just now?" he seemed a bit confused at her forwardness, but there was still a hint of anger in his voice. "What possessed you to kiss me?"

Cecilia did not answer and longed to see what expression he was showing her, and without a second thought, she reached out to him in an attempt to touch his face. His hands grabbed her wrists almost immediately and held her in a firm grip.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" He sounded angry and there was no mistaking the expression he was showing. Even though she could not see it, Cecilia knew he was scowling at her.

She did not answer his question, thinking he would understand when she did not open her eyes. But she had been gravely mistaken. When she did not answer, he seemed to get even angrier at her and threw her to the wooden floor, using her arm as leverage.

She could not see how close she was to the floor and, unable to brace herself in time, she ended up hitting her head on the wood floor. It dazed her a bit but otherwise she was unharmed. She remained on the floor for a short while as she waited for the fuzziness in her mind to go away before she stood again. Meanwhile, the man who had tossed her there discovered he was completely naked and voiced his anger.

"What did you do to me while I was unconscious?" he demanded.

"I told you," Cecilia replied as she struggled to get back to her feet. She groped around for her chair as she spoke. "I was healing you."

"So you strip me naked?" He sounded appalled at the thought.

Finally finding her chair and hoisting herself up off the floor, Cecilia sat down and crossed her arms. "Well, it's not like I can see it anyway! I would think you would have figured this out after noticing that I never open my eyes!"

There was silence, and for a moment, Cecilia had no idea what was happening around her. She heard nothing, which told her that the man was not moving and seemed shocked at what she had said. The fact that she could not hear anything but his breathing scared her but she tried not to show it in her face. What was he going to do next?

"You're blind?" he asked, sounding completely innocent.

Cecilia pursed her lips in annoyance. "Well, it's about time you figured it out!" She waved her arms around is if she were in hysterics. "I thought we were going to argue about this all day!"

"But why did you kiss me?" he asked again, plunging ahead as if the fact that she were blind meant nothing to him.

For a second she thought she was about to explode and start yelling at him, but she kept her calm and took a deep breath before answering. "It's called the Life Kiss," she explained. "I use it to bring people out of comas." She then fell quiet and sat back in her chair, waiting for him to say something in return.

There was silence in the room for quite some time. The man was obviously mulling over what she had told him and he did not speak until several minutes later.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"I will only give you my name once you give me yours. I don't like to let a patient go until I know their name."

Again there was silence. There was a bit of shuffling sounds from the bed; perhaps the man was running his hands over the sheets that covered him as he debated whether he should tell her his name or not. Finally, after quite some time, he broke the silence.

"I am Septimus," he said. "Now what is your name?"

She felt a smile grace her lips before she answered him. "Cecilia."

**A/N: It is EXTREMELY difficult to write for a blind character, I will tell you this right now. I'm sorry if at times Cecilia does not seem blind, but she really is. I tried my best at this.**

**Review please!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I wish I would get more attention on this. The story has been up for days and I only have 6 hits and absolutely no reviews. *pout* I would be much obliged if people would review. :) The story does get more interesting, i swear. Septimus teaches Cecilia many things she cannot do already. And Una gets involved along with the palace guards and some of his brothers. Haven't decided which ones yet, or which "one", but I'll get there.**

**Enjoy this chapter! :)**

Chapter 2—Beauty and the Beast

"I would very much like to know what happened to you," Cecilia said as she mixed a kettle of herbal tea in the fireplace. She sat comfortably in her chair while Septimus put his pants back on behind her. "I am very curious to know how you ended up injured on the side of the road." She heard a groan from behind her as she fanned the fire, the heat from the flames graced her cheeks where she sat. She smiled. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine," she said, stirring the tea with a long, wooden ladle. "I have other means of finding out. But I won't utilize them without your permission."

She stood up and walked over to the bed where Septimus sat pulling on his trousers. She stood just above him, her smile facing the wall above his head. "What is it exactly that you need my permission to use?" he asked her, sounding quite suspicious.

Reaching behind her without glancing back, Cecilia grabbed her chair and turned it around to face the bed. She sat down and smiled at the man in front of her. "A special gift I have had since I was young," she replied. "I can look into people's memories when I place my forehead to theirs. However, I never use it without anyone's permission." Cecilia held out her hands to the man. "May I?"

There was silence while Septimus contemplated what she was offering him. Finally, when she felt her arms grow heavy from the strain of holding them out in front of her, the man answered. "Very well," he said. "You may look."

Cecilia smiled and leaned forward so she could find his face. She almost fell forward when she reached too far and did not find him. His hands came up to her wrists once again, but this time they did not grab her out of anger but rather out of pity. His strong arms hoisted her back up into a sitting position and guided her hands to his face. She was grateful for his help but was slightly happy when he released his grip on her wrists. Now free to do as she pleased, she first ran her hands carefully over his face. She was curious as to what expression he was showing to her touch. She smiled when her fingers saw that he was quite awkward. No worries, everyone is a little unnerved the first time she touches their face.

She soon shifted her grip to his temples, rubbing them lightly as she brought her forehead closer to his. The moment their skin touched, she was thrown through a vortex that seemed to constrict her body and pinned her limbs tight against her sides. She felt like she was unable to breathe but the uncomfortable sensation was soon gone when she was whisked out of the mind portal and found herself standing upright with her bare feet surrounded by soft moss and long, drying grass.

Cecilia opened her eyes and marveled, not for the first time, at the fact that she could see once again. She enjoyed going into memories, aside from the discomfort she felt when she first entered, the feeling she got when she opened her eyes once inside overrode any sort of discomfort or draw back her powers held.

Glancing around at her surroundings, she saw that she was standing on a grassy hill surrounded by many just like it. Staring off in the distance, a group of riders raced across a valley towards the hills she stood on and behind them, a magnificent palace loomed overhead. The colors were off, not that they were the wrong colors, just the lighting seemed wrong. Sometimes in memories there was an excess of light or just not enough of it. Memories were never perfect and right now, her surroundings were much too bright.

The scene then flashed bright and changed to the edge of a forest. Cecilia could hear the sound of waves from the ocean crashing on the shore and thought that this must be near her own cottage. But as she glanced around, the sound of hooves pounding on soft ground came from behind her and she turned around to see seven men on horseback riding in an arrow formation. She jumped out of their way, knowing full well that even if she stayed where she was and let the horses hit her, they would pass right through her and leave her unharmed. However, just as the horsemen neared the edge of the forest, they stopped. The rider in the lead, a handsome man with thick, wavy black hair, a strong jaw and nose, and the same build as the man in her home, stopped just short of the first tree and turned to look quizzically at the men behind him.

"Well, come on then," he said sounding rather peeved. "It's only a forest."

"Prince Septimus," one man said. "That forest is rumored to hold bandits and thieves. It would be unwise to try and cross it."

Septimus was not amused by his men's cautiousness. "That is exactly what they are!" he growled angrily. "Just rumors. Now come on, unless you want to spend the rest of your days in the palace dungeon." He then turned his horse back around and galloped in the forest. His men soon followed.

The scene flashed white again and this time Cecilia was in the middle of a battle. Men had run out from the trees in the forest and attacked Septimus and his men. The Prince and his men put up a valiant effort but one by one, each of the guards were cut down, never to get up on their own again. Finally, all that remained was the young Prince himself, bleeding and angry. The bandits surrounded him, each pointing their sword tip at his heart. Even though he was clearly outnumber, Septimus still tried to fight back. The bandits soon overpowered him and beat him to the ground. They laughed as they routed through the man's pockets, took anything of value, including his horse, and left him in the forest to die. Just as the young Prince looked up to shoot daggers at the leaving bandits, someone hit him on the forehead with the butt of their sword and he fell unconscious.

Next, everything was black and Cecilia thought that she had returned to the living world somehow without going through the vortex of the mind. She soon was proven wrong when the feel of soft lips on her own appeared and Septimus woke up with a start to find the blind woman kissing him. Just as the Prince reached out to grab her, she was thrown back out of his mind and was soon sitting, out of breath and sweating on the chair next to the bed.

Passed the sound of her own beating heart and heavy breathing, she heard Septimus's panting and assumed he, too, was just as exhausted as she was.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I should have warned you that seeing into other's memories tends to make us both a little tired."

"Tired!" he yelled, anger clear in his voice. "I'm exhausted! I don't feel like I'll be able to get out of bed for another week!"

"Less than that, actually," Cecilia corrected as she wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead. "One or two days to be precise."

"Well, I cannot wait that long to get home," he complained. "I must leave now."

"In a hurry to get back to the palace, Prince Septimus of Stormhold?" she asked, her voice growing cold.

The room was silent for a moment before the man acknowledged what she had said. "You know who I am?" he asked.

"I saw your memories. In case you have forgotten in just a few seconds, you're men did call you 'Prince' Septimus."

She heard a sigh come from him before he spoke. "Yes, I am Prince Septimus, the Seventh Son of Stormhold." He spoke dryly, as if this was no matter at all. "What's it to you?"

Cecilia laughed. "Oh nothing, aside from the little fact that your family is cold-hearted bastards who kill your own blood relatives."

"Well, I'll have you know that I haven't killed anyone of my six brothers!" he exclaimed. She crossed her arms disbelievingly. "None of my brothers are dead! The only one in my family right now who has ever killed any of his brothers would be my father, the King."

Cecilia tightened her lips in a disbelieving sneer but soon set the topic aside. Standing up, she walked across the room to the wooden table that held her grinding stone and bowl. She ran her hand over the wood, feeling for something she needed. When her fingers wrapped around a small, leather bag, she picked it up and walked back to her chair.

"You will be leaving tomorrow," she told him when she sat back down. Reaching out, she felt around the sheets until she found his hand and placed the leather pouch in his fingers. "There is a town a mile west of here. Tomorrow you will take this purse and use the coins to buy yourself a horse. Then you are free to make your way back to the palace."

She did not even bother to wait for a reply before she stood up sharply and walked out of the cottage, feeling her way along the dirt path to her barn. Oh, how she detested royalty.

---

Septimus lay wide awake in his bedchambers at the Stormhold palace. Rolling over under his sheets, he stared out the window at the stars that shone brightly in the night sky. He had been back at the palace for three days and ever since he had arrived back home, everything he looked at reminded him of Cecilia. He would look at something and start thinking what a shame it must be that the young healer woman could not see such wondrous things.

Now, as he looked at the starlit sky, he felt as if he wished Cecilia to be able to see it just as he did. It seemed a shame that she was unable to see it. It truly was beautiful…just like she was.

He frowned. Did he really think that? How could he be sure when she did not even show him her eyes? It was a strange development he had never experienced before. Septimus desperately wanted to see the woman's eyes, but she had made it clear to him that she never wanted to see him again. It was strange, she never really did give him a reason why she wanted him gone. However, she only started to dislike him when she found out that he was a prince. Strange, people usually bowed down to him once they discovered who he was.

But not Cecilia.

No, when Cecilia had found out, she had spoken to him with distain. She sounded as if she was disgusted just by being in his presence. He felt angered by this fact. He did not want her to think of him that way.

The young Prince sat bolt upright in bed. That was it, wasn't it? How could he not see it before? Damn that woman. How could she do such a thing to him? Him! Septimus, the seventh born son of Stormhold, and the son his father saw the most promise in becoming King. How could he have allowed her to work such a spell on him? But there was no turning back from it. The die was already cast and he had lost. He had begun to feel something for the blind healer. Whether he just wanted to be friends with her or if he wanted something more, he could not be sure this early on in the game. But whatever it was, it was eating him from the inside.

Slinging the blanket off his body, he swung his legs over the side of his bed and stood up. He walked across his large bedroom and stepped onto his balcony. Septimus stared out across the magnificent landscape in which the palace over looked and furrowed his brows in thought. He felt as if he had to redeem himself to her. Prove to her that he was not who she thought he was even though he truly was the heartless, unforgiving man he had always been since birth. Maybe if he went to see her again, he could dissuade her from her negative thoughts towards him.

Smirking at the ridiculous notion, he made his decision. First thing after his morning meal, he would leave the palace to find her, alone. He did not want to risk any of his brothers, or even his twin sister Una, giving away his dark side to the blind healer.

Septimus turned away from the balcony, shut the curtains around the doorway to the balcony and returned to his bed. Lying down, he closed his eyes and attempted to fall asleep for the third time that night. And yet still, for some strange reason, sleep refused to find him.

---

The water was warm and soothing and made quite a relaxing difference on a wet day. The sound of the rain outside was loud and obnoxious. On dreary days such as this one, the only thing Cecilia wanted to do was lie down and relax. A nice hot bath was certainly the way to do just that.

Taking her hand out of the water, she stripped off her clothes and stepped in the metal tub. A deep sigh escaped her lips when she felt the water soak her whole body and cleanse every pore in her skin. Smiling, she leaned her head back and rested it against the rim of the tub. It seemed as if nothing could break her from her happiness now.

"Mistress Cecilia?" her assistant said, her little voice coming from right next to her. "Would you like me to light some incense and place your towel on a stool next to your bath?"

Turning her head in the general direction of the little girl, she nodded. "Just the towel would be nice, thank you." The little girl's feet could be heard shuffling off to get the young healer her towel and she returned to her previous position.

Young Leola soon returned with the towel and not long after she left again did she hear a knock coming from her front door. Frowning, she called out for her assistant.

"Leola, could you see who is at our door, please? Do not let them in unless I tell you to."

"Yes, Cecilia," the young girl replied and her footsteps grew quieter as she walked away from the healer and stopped at the door. The hinges creaked with the rubbing of metal upon metal when the girl opened the door. Cecilia ground her teeth together from the sharp noise. She would have to have her assistant oil it first thing tomorrow.

Over the pounding of the rain, the young healer could hear two voices talking. One was her young assistant and the other was a man, his voice was deep and strong.

"It's the man we found in the forest about a week ago," Leola suddenly said, her voice a bit louder than normal. Perhaps she was trying to compensate for the loud hammering of the rain.

Cecilia groaned when she heard who was at her door. She had hoped that she would never hear from him again and when she left the cottage to sleep in the barn after she gave him the coins to pay for a horse, she thought that was the last she would ever have to talk to him. The truth was, she had thought he was rather handsome after seeing him in his memories, but when she found out who he was, she wanted to forget her previous feelings for him. And yet somehow, she could not.

Sighing in defeat, she realized she could not leave the man outside in the pouring rain. "Let him in then," she told her assistant.

"But you're naked in the tub," she declared.

"I know my own appearance, Leola," she snapped. "But my back is faced to the door and he is, after all, a Prince. I think he should have the decency to look away when a naked woman is in front of him."

There was a short silence before the girl did anything. Finally, after a few moments, the hinges creaked and the heavy sound of booted feet against wood resounded into the room before the door of the cottage was shut and locked behind him.

"Are those spurs I hear?" Cecilia asked, referring to the thump of his steps in her home.

A small chuckle escaped Septimus's lips. "I hope you don't mind, I already put my horse in your barn."

"That is fine. But I am more concerned as to why you came back here."

There were a few thumps just before a loud crash erupted in the room. A smile spread across Cecilia's face when she realized that he had finally seen her in the tub, was completely taken by surprise, and tripped over something in the room.

"Leola, do be kind to our guest and help him clean up the mess he just made," the healer said rather slyly.

"What!" Septimus cried. "You expect me to clean this up?"

"You break it, you clean up the mess," Cecilia replied honestly.

She heard a groan from him but soon the sounds of glass being swept across the floor could be heard behind her along with small whispers that indicated that Leola and Septimus were conversing with each other. The young healer chose not to pay attention to whatever it was they were saying and relaxed in her tub, waiting for the Prince to finish up so he could tell her why the hell he was here.

Little footfalls sounded as Leola stood up and walked away to throw the glass away while Septimus had remained where he was. The sound of feet shuffling told Cecilia that he had turned around to keep his gaze averted.

"Now," the blind healer said, sinking deeper into the tub. "Why have you come back here?"

Silence followed her question until she heard skidding across her wood floor and the sound of Septimus's body slumping into a chair wafted to her ears. The sliding of a knife out of its sheath made Cecilia grind her teeth together and she winced every time she heard the blade slam into the wood of her table. This man really did bother her.

"You're not like others, are you?" he asked. Cecilia raised an eyebrow at his seemingly random question. "Normally, people bow down to me when they discover I am the seventh son of Stormhold. But you…" He paused. "You don't seem to care." His knife thumped into the table again.

"It's not that I don't care," she replied honestly. "It's the fact that I don't like you." Another thump.

"And why is that?" he asked, a bit of annoyance in his voice.

"I thought you would have figured that out when last I spoke to you." Thump. "If you do not know why, then I cannot help you."

"Or rather, you will not help me." Thump.

Cecilia frowned at his statement. The man truly knew her and that fact was more than a little unsettling. "I want you to leave," she demanded. Thump. "Now."

"I'm not leaving until I have proven to you that I am not who you think I am." Thump.

The blind healer growled, grabbed her towel, brought it behind her and got to her feet. She heard Septimus cry out in surprise from her sudden exposure as she stepped out of her bath and wrapped the towel around herself.

"Have you no decency?" he demanded, sounding appalled.

Cecilia merely shrugged as she wrung out her thick hair and walked over to the Prince sitting at her table. "Hey, I'm covered and I'm blind, what do I care?"

Septimus did not bother to answer her question but rather shoved his chair back against the wood floor and stood up. Cecilia cringed at the sound of the wood grinding against wood. She heard his booted feet thump against the floor as he walked away from her. She held back a smile when she spoke again.

"If you refuse to leave, then you must require a place to sleep." She felt for the chair he had occupied and sat down. "You may sleep in my barn."

"What! You expect a man of my standing, a Prince, to sleep with the pigs?" Her restraint broke when she heard the bitterness in his voice and a devious smile creeped across her face.

"If you wish to prove yourself to me, then I suggest you start by sleeping where I have assigned you," she remarked with sly satisfaction.

A growl resounded from his throat and the door of her cottage was soon thrust open. A chilling wind blew against her wet skin making her shiver, but the door was soon slammed shut and Septimus was gone.

Cecilia stood up and removed her towel. "It's about time he left," she said grudgingly. "Leola, gather my clothes for me, please."

"Yes, Mistress," came the girl's voice from the back room almost immediately. From the proximity of her voice, the young healer knew the girl had been eavesdropping.

---

"I still do not understand why you insist on remaining here," Cecilia said when she entered the barn and heard the uncanny sound of the young Prince brushing his horse. She had come in only to give Septimus his midday meal and then leave again but she could not help but comment on his insistence on staying where he was until he got what he wanted. Well, she thought, at least he's determined.

"Strangely," he said as the crunching of straw beneath his booted feet sounded to her left. She turned to face him, correcting her earlier position. "I'm not exactly sure why either." The weight in her hands lessened when he took the cup of wine from the tray she held. "Your feelings towards me seem quite clear."

"They are," she replied sternly. "And if you are not gone within the next week, I feel no remorse what so ever about kicking you out and leaving you on your own."

"That sounds like a threat," Septimus said with a hint of a smile in his voice.

"It's the truth," she said, her eyebrows knitting together in a frown. "I'll trust you to believe it."

"And how do you think you will manage to kick me out?"

"I'll stop feeding you." There was no hint of doubt in her voice as she spoke. "For now, you are my guest however much I don't want you to be. But when you overstay your welcome, I expect you to be gone."

Septimus fell silent and took the tray from the blind healer's hands. His muffled, proper bites could be heard to even the keenest of hearing. Cecilia's stomach churned when she heard the food in his mouth mulling around and the gurgling sound of him swallowing before taking another bite. She hated to hear people eat. It made her want to hurl every time.

While the Prince ate his meal, Cecilia busied herself with finding her horse and the brushes so she could groom the young mount. Her bare feet kicked aside pieces of straw and hay as she shuffled along the barn in search of the items. As she walked around, she tripped over a rope or cord of some sort and nearly fell to the ground. She threw up her arms to brace herself, not knowing where the floor was, but was surprised to find that something wrapped around her middle and hauled her back to her feet. She was thoroughly confused at her predicament and cocked her head to the side once she was standing straight again.

"Septimus?" she asked, swiveling her head around the barn aimlessly. She was unsure where he was or even where she was. "Was that you?"

"It was," came his reply from behind her. She started and turned around to face him. "I can't have an injured host, now can I?" By the sound of his voice, Cecilia could tell he was smiling.

She furrowed her brow but shook off his last remark. "Well then, if you are so considerate all of a sudden, would you mind getting me the grooming tools and guiding me to my horse?"

The Prince did not reply but took her arm and gently guided her across the straw-covered floor to the stall in which her horse was kept. He took her wrist and brought her arm up, resting her hand on the snout of her horse. Cecilia smiled when she felt the short fur of the animal and the warm breath on her skin from the soft snort it gave at her touch. She felt Septimus leave her side for but a moment and then return, placing the handle of a basket in her free hand.

"Will that do?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded, not once turning to face him. "Yes, it shall. But, I could have gotten to the horse myself, you know."

"Really? It seemed to me after you tripped that you would need help. And besides, you did ask."

She let out a short laugh. "I found something to trip over on purpose," she said. "True, finding the grooming tools would have been a challenge considering you moved them, but finding my horse is not a problem for me. I was just testing you."

"Testing me?" He sounded quite confused. Cecilia's smile never faltered as she picked out a brush from the basked and began to groom her mount.

"Yes," she answered. "It seems that my assistant has contracted a sickness and will be bedridden for several days." She let her first sentence sink in before she explained where she was going with her conversation. "There is a festival in the town nearby two days from now. The town council usually asks for my services during the festival in case any of their performers of on-goers needs assistance. But because Leola is sick, I will need a new escort." She stopped her brushing and turned towards him. "Will you be my new escort?"

Silence followed her request. It was obvious that Septimus had no idea what to think of her sudden change in behavior. That was understandable. After all, she had just been telling him before hand that she would kick him out of her barn to fend for himself if he overstayed his welcome. Anyone would feel a little more than slightly confused at her actions. Nevertheless, she waited patiently for his answer as she turned back to her horse and continued to brush his coat.

"Did you not just say that if I stayed too long, you would leave me out in the wilderness alone?"

"I did," she agreed. "And I intend to hold that promise. However, I do need and escort, I cannot do without one. That is why I am asking you. You're here and doing nothing, so to earn your stay here, I expect you to escort me to the festival. After that, I hope you will leave."

The barn was quiet while Septimus considered her offer. Finally, after several minutes of silence while Cecilia combed out her horse's mane, the Prince gave his answer.

"I will escort you," he said in a voice that was rather plain. "But we will take my horse."

She nodded once and turned around. "Very well, it's decided." She placed her brush back in the basket she had put at her feet and pulled out a large comb. "I do expect you to be washed up and be nicely dressed before we leave, however."

"How will you know if I haven't?" he asked.

"I can smell you," she replied. "And right now, you smell strongly of pig slop."

**A/N: Again, my apologies if I did not get Cecilia's blindness across. It is rather hard to write in the point of view of a blind person having over perfect eyesight myself. =/ **

**Review please! I'll be sorely saddened if you don't. :(**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: yay! festivals! I wish I could go to a festival like this. I think it would be so much fun! And the dancing, oh how much fun I would have dancing! Though, truthfully, I really want to eath their food. I hear festival food is really tasty. =D**

**Do enjoy, my one reader! =/**

Chapter 3—Moondance

Cecilia busied herself in her cottage putting her fanciest dress on and preparing an herbal soup for Leola while Septimus was out in the barn readying his horse. She had not even finished lacing up the back of her dress when she started to cook the soup and currently stirred the concoction with a long, wooden spoon. The smell was strong and delicious and also contained Ragglebelt stem to help bring down the teenager's fever. Luckily for Leola, the Ragglebelt stem did not deter from the taste of the stew.

Waving her hand over the pot, she grabbed a wooden bowl from a cupboard and ladled out the soup into the bowl for her assistant. Taking a handful of soil, she threw it over her cookfire and moved the pot to the table next to the bed in which Leola lay. She then took the bowl, added a spoon, and handed the stew to the girl.

"Will you be gone late?" Leola asked when she took the soup from her mistress's hands.

Cecilia nodded and proceeded to finish lacing up her dress. "I have to remain until the festival is over," she replied honestly. "Just remember to eat your soup and drink lots of water. I have placed the water jug next to your bed as well as the rest of the soup, and extra blankets can be found in my closet."

Shuffling could be heard from the bed indicating that her assistant had adjusted her pillows to allow herself to sit up and eat her stew. Cecilia gave a slight smile and left the room, leaving the young girl to fend for herself. She hated leaving Leola alone when she was ill, but her services were required at the festival. It was her duty to attend the festival.

The blind healer left her cottage, shutting the door tightly behind her, and made her way down the dirt path to her barn. The moment she opened the heavy wooden doors, she heard the impatient whinny of a horse ready to go for a ride. She smirked, knowing that Septimus had been waiting for her.

"What took you so long?" he asked, sounding irritated and impatient.

"I had to make a pot of stew for Leola," she replied, reaching her hand out to pet the horse in front of her. The stallion raised his head up to touch its nose to her fingers, snorting out hot breath onto her skin. "I had to make sure she was properly taken care of before I left."

There was a silence in which Cecilia thought the man was rolling his eyes, or something along those same lines before she felt him take her hand and lead her around his mount. He placed his hands on her waist as if he were about to lift her up onto the saddle, but stopped suddenly. Cecilia furrowed her brows, confused.

"Aren't you going to put shoes on?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, I can see better this way."

"See? But you're blind."

Cecilia let out an exasperated sigh. "It's better for me to have a general idea of where I am when my feet are bare," she explained. "And besides, we'll be on cobblestone streets all night. So don't worry, my feet will be fine."

The blind healer sensed that the man rolled his eyes in defeat before lifting her up and setting her gently on the leather saddle. The saddle shifted slightly when the Prince placed his booted foot in the stirrup and climbed on the horse behind her. With the excess weight, the horse sunk a little before standing straight again and shifted its hooves to compensate for its surprise. Cecilia gasped and clutched Septimus's leather coat to keep herself from falling off. She really did hate riding on horseback.

"Calm down," he said irritably. "I'm not going to push the animal at top speed. I'm only going have the horse move at a walk."

"Still," she said, refusing to release her grip on his coat. "Riding on a horse scares me."

She could sense he was growing more irritated by the minute and hoped he would not make her walk. "Fine," he grumbled. "Hold onto my waist if it makes you feel more comfortable."

Cecilia smiled at his reluctant remark and did as he suggested. Sitting sideways on the saddle just as she did before, she wrapped her arms around his thick waist and held on tight. Her head moved with the rising and falling of his chest as he breathed and there was something about feeling the warmth of his body that made her feel a bit more comfortable atop the horse.

When the horse started to move, her grip around his waist tightened and she squeezed her eyelids together as her heartbeat sped up. For a split second, Cecilia could not understand how Septimus could be so comfortable on horseback, but she soon realized it was probably because he was able to see whereas she could not. As the horse walked outside, the warm air surrounding the setting sun graced her cheeks, making her relax slightly. The warm sun always warmed her heart, even at the most depressing of moments.

The ride to the town did not take very long in reality, but Cecilia could have sworn it took all day. When Septimus stopped his mount, he tapped her gently and told her it was time to release him. The blind healer was reluctant to even loosen her grip around his waist, but the Prince was insistent and after much complaining, she let go.

Septimus jumped down off his horse, making Cecilia feel more frightened than she had been on the ride there. She was soon saved from panicking when she felt the Prince's strong hands take her around the waist once again and lift her off the saddle. When she stood on firm ground once again, she was not surprised to find that her knees were trembling. Thinking that she was going to collapse, she reached out in search of the Prince's arm. When her fingers brushed against his leather coat, she gripped his arm and used it to hold herself in a standing position.

"Do you mind?" Septimus asked annoyed.

"Sorry," Cecilia replied, letting his arm go and standing on her own. "Horseback rides tend to leave me a little weak and shaky."

The man let out a sigh and shifted his weight from one leg to the other. "Very well," he groaned. His elbow nudged Cecilia in the shoulder, hinting that she should take it. "Just don't knock me over."

"Only if I take you by surprise," she returned sarcastically. Septimus grumbled his discomfort, making the blind healer smirk.

Septimus ignored her remark and led her away after he barked at a few people nearby to take care of his horse. He then proceeded to pull her off in a new direction.

"Who did you just order around?" Cecilia asked as she felt her way along the cobblestone streets of the town, ignoring the hustle and bustle of the many people around her.

"Two boys at the stable," he replied emotionlessly. "Do you really think I would demand other people to take care of horses who are not trained? It is my horse after all."

Cecilia nodded. "Ah," she said. "You have a point."

They fell silent and continued to walk through the town, all the while, the sounds of a crowd's chatter grew louder and louder. A woman's ruckus laughter rose above the din of the crowd and made the blind healer cringe in annoyance. Not her, please not that God awful woman. If she sees me now, there will be no end to her insults.

Septimus seemed to notice her discomfort and commented on it.

"Is something the matter?" he asked, sounding oddly worried. Cecilia mentally rolled her eyes. His sympathy was probably just for show.

"No, everything is fine," she stated angrily. "Just as long as you don't steer me in the direction of the lady who just laughed abnormally loud."

"You mean that lady?" he asked suddenly. "The one walking towards us?"

Cecilia raised her head up in alarm. "What woman? You know I can't anything."

"Which is exactly why you should not be here," said a voice in front of her dripping with malevolence. "Who's the stiff, Cecilia? Did you force him to come here with your less than proper methods?"

Cecilia growled and released her arm from the Prince's grip and balled her hands into fists. "You're one to talk, Perdita," she grumbled. "I'm not the one who makes a living by entertaining patrons of the opposite sex."

"Well, at least I'm not so thin I would snap in half if hit by the slightest of strikes." Perdita sounded quite smug at her little insult, but Cecilia only smirked.

"And judging by how deep your voice is and how funky you smell, I can say that at least I don't have so much fat on me that I would roll instead of walk."

This seemed to anger the woman and Cecilia could not help but let out a chuckle. In the few seconds following her snide comment, the blind healer heard several footsteps sound all at once. First, she heard Perdita take a step towards her threateningly. However, Cecilia did not move, knowing full well what would happen to the broad if she did manage to hit her. At times the woman suspected that she was not blind, but only faking because of how fast and how well she could dodge Perdita's blows. There was no sight involved at all in Cecilia's movements in fact, but merely keen hearing and a very strong and acute sense of smell. Because of her blindness, the rest of Cecilia's senses were sharpened to ten times the normality of any other human. It was just how nature compensated for a lack of any of the five senses.

To her great annoyance, Cecilia did not get the chance to discourage Perdita because just as the woman stepped up to her, she felt Septimus move from her side and heard his booted feet step between her and Perdita. The blind healer felt the weight of his arm draped across her shoulders and heard his even breathing with his momentary urge to prevent a fight; or prevent Cecilia from getting hurt, which never happened whenever she confronted Perdita.

"That's enough," he said in his usual deep voice.

Perdita sounded quite affronted when next she spoke. "So you brought him along as your body guard, is that it?" she asked angrily. Her voice then turned from anger to sarcasm in a split second. "Funny how people like you always seem to find trouble but always need help to get out of it."

The young healer laughed. "I never find trouble," she stated plainly. "Trouble always finds me."

"That's enough, Cecilia," Septimus scolded as if he were her father or older brother. "And you," he said in a way that made Cecilia think he was no longer talking to her. "Shame on you for bullying a blind woman. An act like that is just cowardly."

The scene was quiet aside from the general milling about of the crowd for a few seconds before the young healer heard Perdita's irritated huff and her footsteps walk off into the crowd. Once the woman was gone, Cecilia rounded on the Prince who stood next to her.

"Why did you do that?" she asked. "I could have handled it without you stepping in!"

"With all due respect," he started, annoyance in his voice. "But watching you getting beaten on my birthday is not something I wish to experience!"

"I knew she was trying to hit me, she does it all the time! And every time she does, I am always able to dodge her blows. I don't need your help to—" She cut herself off, suddenly realizing what he had said. "It's your birthday?"

Septimus shifted awkwardly next to her, his boots grinding against the cobblestone making Cecilia grind her teeth together. Oh, how she hated that sound.

"It is," he answered, taking her arm again and leading her through the crowd.

"Ah, how old are you, then?"

The Prince paused for a moment as if he were debating whether to tell her or not, but soon continued on. "Twenty three," he replied and then remarked, "and that isn't a very proper question to ask someone."

Cecilia smiled. "I know that, I'm just curious. Aren't you a bit curious about my age?"

"No." His reply was quick and sudden, almost as if he were trying to avoid answering.

"Oh, come on," she pleaded. "I can tell from your voice that you're lying. Just ask me, how old am I?"

She heard a sigh come from the man beside her. "Fine," he gave in. "How old are you?"

"Guess," she replied mischievously.

Septimus groaned. "Fine, nineteen?"

"Nope, guess again."

"Seventeen?"

"Older."

"Eighteen?"

"Older."

"Twenty?"

"You're getting closer, but you're not there yet."

The Prince stopped walking all of a sudden and she could feel him turn to face her. "You're not really going to make me guess your age all night, are you?" He sounded more than a bit peeved.

The blind healer merely smiled and patted his arm comfortingly. "No, I just like to mess with people sometimes, including fiery princes such as yourself."

"Well, if you're not going to keep this up all night, how old are you really?"

Cecilia decided to postpone answering until later and gestured ahead of them. "Walk," she told him. "I need to get to the booths, I'm rather hungry."

Septimus did as she asked him and continued to lead her through the crowd. A few people bumped into them, one nearly knocked Cecilia to the ground. Septimus was saved from his urge to punch the man who did when the stranger apologized repeatedly and helped the healer to her feet. The two remained silent until they reached the vendors and Septimus had to ask what she wanted after seeing the variety they offered.

"How about some bean tarts," she suggested. "I haven't had one of them in ages."

"What, exactly, is a bean tart?" the Prince asked her, thoroughly confused.

"They're a lot like buttermilk biscuits but made out of ground beans instead of flour. Sugar is added to make them sweet and delicious and they're filled with fruit preserves." She then cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brows. "You've never had a bean tart? Really?"

"Never," he replied. "Where do they sell them here?"

Cecilia shrugged. "Hell if I know, Leola is usually the one who gets them for me."

"Oh yeah," Septimus said guiltily. "Sorry, I tend to forget about your disability."

The blind healer smiled and nodded. "It's quite all right," she assured him. "Now, let's go find those tarts."

She assumed Septimus nodded before he guided her around the vendors because of the short pause before he walked off. It did not take long before they came across the right booth and the Prince paid for several bean tarts and carried them in a basket that Cecilia draped over her left arm while they walked. The Prince, Cecilia thought, was spending most of his time glancing around at the many fascinating sights that came with a festival of such magnitude. She could not be sure, but she did have her suspicions that he was well enjoying himself, even if he tried not to show it. Cecilia could feel and hear it in his breathing and the way he walked.

A few hours passed and Cecilia thought that she had been lucky this time. No one came to her in need of assistance. Unfortunately for her, the thoughts came too soon. While they were standing in a gathered crowd around a stage so that the Prince could see the performers, an accident occurred. The blind healer had not been paying much attention to the performance, when suddenly, she heard Septimus give a gasp next to her and then immediately after, an extremely loud crack issued from the stage. When she heard the noise, her head shot up immediately, her nose moving around as if she were a dog sniffing the air.

"What happened?" she inquired. Her hands groped for the Prince next to her and she soon found his leather-covered shoulder and gripped it in shock. "Septimus, what happened?"

"One of the performers landed on his leg awkwardly and broke it," he replied without emotion.

Cecilia frowned. "Well don't just stand there!" she demanded. "Take me up there so I can help him!"

The Prince did not answer her but grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from where they had been standing. She heard his strong voice shouting at the crowd to move aside. People seemed to obey him seeing as she felt no bodily contact on her way to the stage. As they dew nearer to the injured man, his screams of agony grew louder and louder until Cecilia thought her eardrums would burst. At times, sensitive hearing was more curse than blessing.

When they arrived at the base of the stage, Septimus grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her off her feet, moved her around and set her on the wood surface of the stage. She heard him breathe out as he jumped up and stood next to her.

"Who is this?" someone to her right asked in annoyance.

"My name is Cecilia," she replied calmly. "I am a talented healer, let me pass."

"And who is that behind you?" the man asked.

"My escort, now if you don't mind, I would like you to step aside so I may heal your friend."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and knew Septimus had stepped in. "Cecilia, he doesn't need to step aside, if you walk straight forward, you will find the injured man."

The young healer huffed and grabbed the Prince's arm. "Well, I'm sorry if I don't know where I am!" she cried. "Let's have everyone forget that I'm blind, why don't we?"

Septimus said nothing but took her hand and led her across the stage to the injured performer. When he stopped, he gripped her shoulders and turned her around. Cecilia took the hint and knelt down. She ran a hand over the man's body and, judging by what she heard, he was hyperventilating to help ease the pain. He still let out a cry of pain every now and then but was otherwise quiet. That was good, Cecilia hated working with loud noises.

"Where is the damage?" she asked no in particular. Someone right in front of her answered her question.

"His right shin."

"How bad is it?"

Everyone around her fell silent at her question. All that could be heard was the distant sound of the rest of the festival and the man's quick and short breaths before her. She soon realized that no one was going to tell her and decided that she had to find out for herself. Running her hands along his muscular torso, she felt down to his waist and then continued to his right leg. When her fingers first touched the broken leg, she flinched and gasped from shock. With practiced ease, she gently ran the tips of her fingers over the bones that protruded from his leg, felt the sharp, jagged edges of splintered bone and the thick, warm blood that flowed freely from the wound. Judging by the amount of blood, Cecilia confirmed that the man was indeed lucky that the jagged bone did not protrude too far out of his body.

"I'm going to have to snap the bone back into place," she told everyone around her. "Whoever is on stage with me, hold him down, he is going to squirm and struggle violently from the pain."

She heard footsteps from all around gather around the man breathing heavily beside her as she ran her hands along his leg to find the perfect grip. Turning her head to the side, she spoke to the Prince who stood behind her.

"Septimus, 'those on stage' includes you. Help the performers hold him down."

A sigh sounded from behind her but his booted feet against the wood stage told her that he did as he was told. Interesting that a Prince would obey the orders given to him by a peasant, Cecilia thought.

"Is everyone ready?" she asked. They all voiced their agreement and she nodded. "Good. When I say so, I want you all to tighten your grip. Under no circumstances are you to let him go or loosen your grip." Grabbing the man's leg both below and above his broken bone, she took a deep breath and yelled, "Now!"

She pulled, the performers and the Prince held the man tight, and the injured performer screamed out in agony. With a loud snap and a crack, the bones went back into place, minus one or two fragments that she would be able to replace in just a moment.

When she relinquished her grip on the man's leg, his cries still echoed about the stage causing a slight chill to run down her back. But she ignored it and sat up, barking out more demands.

"Water!" she yelled. "Someone get me a bucket of water! And a clean cloth!"

Loud footsteps sounded from her left as a man stood up and ran off to get what she needed. His steps soon faded and she bent over the injured man once again. Cecilia ran her hands over the ugly wound once again and felt for the bone beneath the skin. She squeezed ever so slightly around the bloodied area causing the man to scream again.

"Would you stop that!" someone demanded angrily. "You're hurting him even more!"

Cecilia furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to reply but the Prince spoke up first.

"Silence!" he yelled. "She knows what she is doing. If she can heal me, she can heal your friend. Now be quiet and let her do her job."

---

Septimus surprised himself when he stood up for the blind woman. For a moment, he did not know why he said it or what is motivation was, but he soon came to realize that he did owe her. As a healer, Cecilia did charge a fee for her services, but when she healed him, she was the one who gave him money and got nothing in return. He owed it to her to pay her back. Little did he know then that his true motives were more than just repayment.

After he had snapped at the performer who rebuked Cecilia, the man grew silent and allowed the healer to work. It was not long until the man who had left earlier returned with a full bucket of water and a clean, fluffy cloth. He held them out to her, not knowing any better, and was discouraged when she did not take it from him. He looked over at Septimus who frowned back at him.

"Set it next to her," he ordered. "And place the cloth in her hand."

The man did as he was told. Cecilia took the cloth from him gratefully and dunked it in the bucket before running it over the bloodied leg. She was quick in cleaning the wound, and when she was finished, she set the cloth on the wood stage before dunking her hands in the bucket themselves. When she removed them, she did not dry them off on her skirts, but ran them over the still bleeding wound. Septimus narrowed his eyes with suspicion and curiosity at what happened next.

Cecilia placed her hands over the wound and, muttering a few words that he could not hear, her hands began to glow a ghostly blue. As he watched, the man's injury seemed to knit itself back together, the fresh blood disappeared, and his breathing eased. Within a few seconds, the leg wound was sealed and the glowing of Cecilia's hands was gone. The blind healer then sat back on her heals and breathed a deep sigh of relief while Septimus was more curious as to whether she used that little technique with him or not. It seemed rather effective.

The other performers seemed to gather around their now healed friend who seemed to have drifted off into a peaceful doze. "The healing process has left him extremely exhausted. Let him sleep for a while and if he doesn't wake within two days, call upon me. It may mean that he has internal injuries that require special attention."

"Is his leg healed?" the man who had yelled at her earlier asked.

"Yes," Cecilia replied. "His bones are mended as are his muscles, skin, and tissue. When he awakes, he must stay bedridden for at least five days before any strenuous activity." She then stood up, Septimus following and walked back down the stage. The Prince took her arm and led her to the edge of the stage before picking her up and gently lowering her down to the cobblestone street. When he rejoined her, she took his arm again gratefully and they continued on through the festival.

"How, exactly, did the man get an injury that bad from landing on his leg funny?" she asked him after a few minutes of walking.

"For starters, he had been very high in the air when he fell," Septimus replied. "And when he landed, his foot got caught in something before her toppled over and his shin landed on the edge of an upturned table."

He saw Cecilia open her mouth and form a wide "O" before she changed the subject. "Is that music I hear?"

The Prince glanced around him at the woman's question, straining his ears to find the music she spoke about. For a moment, he thought she was mad and only imagining she heard things. But he soon realized that her hearing was very sensitive. She could hear things that he could not. It strangely reminded him of a dog.

"I don't hear anything," he replied.

"It's coming from over there," she said, pointing to her right.

Septimus followed the direction she was pointing in. "I still don't hear anything."

"It sounds like dancing music," she said matter-of-factly. "Let's go check it out."

The Prince felt pressured to do as she said even without bribery or threats, she had a way of getting him to do as she wanted. Septimus felt weak when in her presence, and hated it. Her grip on his arm tightened as he felt himself being dragged off in a new direction. With no other choice, he stumbled once and then regained his balance before walking once again by her side.

As they walked through an alley, Cecilia suddenly answered a question he had asked several hours earlier. "I'm twenty two, by the way."

Septimus raised an eyebrow at her statement. "That seems a bit young to be such a talented healer," he commented.

"It is," she agreed. "I was taught from an early age how to heal using my magic by the woman who originally owned the cottage I live in."

About halfway through the alley, the sounds of the music Cecilia had been talking about reached his ears. He let a smile grace his face when he heard it. It really was dancing music. This should be fun.

"You mean to say that you weren't taught by your mother or father?" The Prince was confused at this.

Cecilia shook her head. "No. I don't remember my parents. For as long as I can remember, I was raised by the woman who taught me. When she died, I took over for her."

Septimus said nothing in return to her explanation and merely nodded before they emerged from the alley into another section of the town with less people but more shops, food vendors, and, as he had thought, a large, open square with several couples twirling and skipping in a traditional folk dance. Next to the dancers was a small band with a ukulele, a flute and other wind instruments, and several percussion drums. He laughed. He had not danced to music like that since he was a child.

"Is the moon bright tonight?" the blind healer asked, startling Septimus with her seemingly random question.

"Yes, why?"

"This festival is in honor of the moon and its cycles. I want to know if they chose a good night to celebrate."

The Prince took a deep sigh and nodded, knowing full well that she could not see him do so. "Yes," he said, glancing up at the sky. "It is very pretty. The moon in full, bright, and surrounded by many shining stars."

The blind healer smiled at his description. "That brings joy to my heart to hear," she said. "A full, bright moon on the night of the festival means there will be good crops this coming fall. This will be a year of few or no storms at sea and—"

"Cecilia, do you know how to dance?" he interrupted. Truth be told, he had wanted to dance ever since he first heard the music from the alley.

"No. Why?" She sounded a little confused when she spoke.

"Would you like to learn?"

She raised her chin in thought but it did not take her very long to decide. "I would love to. Where do we start?"

He stopped walking when they arrived at the square and took both her hands in his. "It's quite simple," he began. "I will lead, you will follow. The trick is to always keep your feet moving. Do not worry, I will not let go of your hands."

She smiled up at him warmly, something he had never seen before and it took him completely off guard.

"Anything else I should know before we start?" she asked.

"Just feel the beat, always smile, and let your body take control. I'll teach you the steps to this kind of dance later. For a beginner such as yourself, you don't really need to know them right away." His smile diminished when he realized he told her to smile and why. What was he thinking? She was a peasant, not someone he should be associating himself with.

"Okay, mister know-it-all." She was very sarcastic when she spoke. She always was. "Lead the way."

He nodded even though he knew she could not see it and led her out into the center of the dancers by the hand. When he found a space he thought wide enough for them to dance, he stopped walking and pulled on her hand to make her face him. Taking her other hand, he bowed once while whispering for her to do the same, and then stood up straight once again. He spoke to her, guiding her through each of the steps as they danced.

Septimus was surprised at how quickly Cecilia picked up the dance. As he twirled her around, watching the skirts of her dress flare up and then fall back down around her legs, he noticed that she was very surefooted. Her steps were light and quick, she bounced around as if she knew the dance already and his verbal commands for her footwork did not go ignored. She heeded every word he said and obeyed them. Soon, he came to a place in the music where he had to pick her up and spin her around his body as if her were moving her from one place to the next. When he grabbed her waist, he warned her about what he was about to do and she grabbed a hold of his shoulders for support. Not being on the ground seemed to make her nervous.

They danced for several hours, every once and a while, the Prince asked her if she wanted to stop and take a brake but each time she insisted that she was having too much fun to stop. He frowned at her comment but did not press the matter and continued dancing. Throughout the night, the joyous smile on Cecilia's face grew wider and wider. Septimus did not know if that was because of him or just because she was dancing for the first time in her life. He hoped it wasn't because of him. As Stormhold royalty, he was forbidden to associate with peasants in any friendly manner. It wasn't illegal, it was just looked down upon with severe distaste. But he soon came to the conclusion that when and if he became King, he would change that idea.

Unfortunately for now, he had to keep Cecilia a secret.

---

"What did you think of your first dance lesson?" Septimus asked on the ride home from the festival.

Cecilia's smile from earlier had not left her face, even when she sat on the back of the horse. There was something about the feel of the Prince's body against hers that made her feel safe. The sound of crickets chirping in the distance told her that night had fallen hours earlier. A chill ran up her spine from the cool night breeze and she wrapped the coat Septimus had given her closer around her shoulders.

"It was very exciting," she replied happily. "I hope we can do it again sometime."

The Prince said nothing to her comment but took a deep breath and held her tighter in the saddle. His reaction led the healer to believe she had made him uncomfortable.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

"No, you're fine," he answered awkwardly. "I just feel like tonight is not the best night to be out and about."

"Then let's hurry home," she suggested.

He said nothing, merely made a slight adjustment with the reins and took another deep breath. It was not long until the horse made another turn and the Prince pulled back on the reins to stop the animal.

"Where here," he said.

Cecilia waited while the Prince dismounted and then held her arms out for him to take. She felt his strong hands take her wrists and place her hands on his shoulders and then grab her waist to hoist her off the saddle. He led her to her front door and opened it for her like a gentleman before she heard him turn and head back to his horse.

"You're not staying?" she found herself asking.

"No," came his grave reply. "You were the one who told me to leave after the festival, remember?"

She nodded once while still facing the door. "I did say that, but it is very late and you are also the one who said you felt as if it were unsafe to travel tonight."

There was a silence before she heard Septimus's slight chuckle. "You're right, I did say that."

"Then why don't you stay the night," she suggested. "It would be wise to get some sleep before you head back to the palace."

"Very well," he said, his voice sounding slightly muffled as if he had given her a deep bow. "I will accept your offer."

She heard footsteps walking away from her along with the clopping of hooves on the dirt path. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"To take my horse to the stable and the go to sleep. What else?"

"You do not need to sleep in the barn tonight. I would be more than happy to let you sleep in the cottage."

"But where would you sleep?" He sounded quite confused and, was that nervousness?

She smirked. "In my own bed, of course."

For a moment, all was quiet except for the chirping of the crickets in the grass. But Septimus soon caught her drift and gave his answer. "Very well," he said. "I shall join you as soon as I have put away the horse."

That said, he turned and left while Cecilia entered her home and prepared her bed.

**A/N: Hmmm, there might be some feelings beginning that neither one are willing to admit. =) **

**I do hope I got Septimus in character enough. He's still supposed to be cruel and uncaring, but not as much as he was in the movie. After all, this is long before the movie even happened.**

**Please, please, PLEASE review!!!!! This is the third chapter and I still don't have any reviews! *pouts and gives puppy-dog face* Pleeeeaaaaaasssse review! I'll give you a cookie...**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So, read the book finally. Septimus's part in the book is a bit different than in the movie. I must say, I like the ending in the movie better than the book. I'm not going to give too much away to those who have not read it so if you really want to know, ask me. I just like how Neil Gaiman described Septimus as a "Foppish Assassin." Lol**

Chapter 4—She is My Sin

Septimus woke with a start the next morning. For a moment, he had forgotten where he was or what happened to him before he fell asleep. But when he felt the warm body of the woman who lay next to him in the bed, he remembered and relaxed his body. The Prince rested his head against the soft pillow and gave a deep sigh. Cecilia's head rested on his shoulder, her arm draped across his bare chest as if he were nothing more than an extra pillow while he wrapped his own muscular arm around her body and gently caressed her shoulder with the tips of his fingers.

Her skin was soft, more so than he had originally thought for someone who lived alone near the edge of a forest. He eyed her sleeping form studiously as he fought back a yawn. He groaned inwardly. For how late he had been up last night, he had woken up entirely too early. Closing his eyes, he attempted to fall back into dreamland but was soon discouraged. He must have lain on his back for hours trying to fall back asleep without moving for fear of waking the young healer lying next to him.

He knew he should leave. His father and sister would probably be worrying about his whereabouts right now. Who knows, he'd stayed with Cecilia so long, his father might have already sent out the palace guards to find him.

Septimus swiftly opened his eyes when he felt slight movement at his side. Turning his head to the side, he glanced down to see Cecilia roll over on her back and yawn quietly with her hand over her mouth. She then ran her hands up his bare chest and smiled. "Good morning, Prince Septimus," she said happily if not tiredly.

"And same to you," he replied. Finally, he could move. He rolled over to face her and propped himself up on the pillow with his elbow. The blind healer ran a hand through her long, black hair before lying down on her side, her hand grabbing his as she did so.

The Prince remained silent for a moment until something that had been plaguing him since he first met the woman creeped into his mind. He opened his mouth to speak, but then thinking his question ridiculous, closed it again. Finally, he decided to just go with it and ask her.

"What color are you eyes?" he blurted out.

She raised her head off the pillow and furrowed her brows in a questioning frown. "What?" she asked, quite confused.

"I mean," Septimus corrected himself. "I've never seen your eyes before because you always keep them closed." He paused. "I would like to see them."

Cecilia sighed deeply and slumped down on her back. "Why is this important to you?" she asked.

"It isn't," the Prince admitted. "But not knowing is going plague me for quite some time if I do not see them."

The blind healer placed a hand to her forehead as if she were thinking over his proposal. But it was not long until she lowered her hand and sat up, the sheets of the bed falling off her to show her slender body clad in a thin nightdress.

"Very well," she said. Septimus adjusted himself into a more comfortable position with the excitement boiling up inside him. "But on one condition. You must tell me what color they are. Even I don't know that."

The Prince nodded once and voiced his consent. Slowly, as if she were unsure what muscles to flex in order to open her lids, she opened her eyes to reveal to the man the most brilliant of blue eyes the Prince had ever seen in his life. With the light from the sun filtering through a window at the head of her bed, the irises of her eyes sparkled just as the sea sparkled in the afternoon light of the setting sun. They were not dark, but light blue, the same color that the sea was before it crashed onto the beach and turned to foam. The interesting thing was, she had no pupils. The black of her pupils had been completely clouded over to give her eyes the illusion of blue water turning to ice or sea foam.

Septimus breathed deeply with fascination. Apparently, Cecilia took his sigh to mean something else and she frantically glanced around, obviously not seeing anything. "What?" she asked, sounding nervous. "What is it?"

"Blue," he said. "Just like the ocean. It is very beautiful."

Out of habit, Cecilia closed her eyes once more and smiled as a faint blush graced her cheeks. Septimus watched as the pigment in her skin changed and her expression changed from one of confusion to bashful happiness. _Beautiful, _he thought, then shook his head and swung his legs out of the bed. Those sorts of thoughts were not appropriate for Stormhold royalty. Running his palms over his thin trousers and sighed deeply before grabbing his leather riding pants and standing up.

"Where are you going?" Cecilia asked, startled. She must have felt the shift of weight on the bed and known he had left her side. Plus, his deep sigh might also have been a good hint.

Turning around, the Prince put his pants on and cupped the blind healer's cheek with his palm before realizing what he was doing and quickly withdrew his hand.

"I must return to the palace," he said, turning back around and grabbing his leather riding boots. As he spoke, he slipped his feet in the boots and buckled on his spurs. "My father will be wondering where I have been for the past several days. I must return home to silence the suspicious minds."

He did not bother to look back at her while he put his shirt on over his head.

"Very well," she said. "If you must go, then go. You know where to find me should you wish to return."

Slipping on his leather jacket, Septimus turned back to face her. "I do." That said, he turned back around and walked out her front door.

---

Septimus stood on his balcony long after the sun had set and stared up at the stars that speckled the vast, dark sky. He had made it a habit to come out on the balcony to stare out over the kingdom and up at the stars nearly every night. It gave him time to think over things, things such as the possibility of becoming king, what to do once he got there, and what to do with Cecilia. He did not know what he felt for her, but what he did know was that he was glad she no longer distrusted him. His last visit had thankfully changed her mind about him.

"Who's on your mind?" someone said from behind him making his start and spin around defensively. He was surprised to find his twin sister standing in his bedroom so close behind him. How she got there without him noticing was something he would have to think on but relaxed when he saw her kind face nonetheless.

"What makes you think any one person is on my mind, Una?" he asked, crossing his arms and turning back around to lean on the balcony railing.

"Just the way you stare out over the land and how you sigh slightly when you look up at the stars."

Septimus frowned and turned to glare at his sister. "What are you talking about?" he asked angrily.

"You've been doing that for half an hour already. It's quite obvious what you're thinking about."

Her brother narrowed his eyes. "How long have you been watching me?"

Una smiled and joined her brother out in the open air. Leaning against the railing just as he had, she looked over at him and rubbed his shoulder lovingly.

"Long enough to know that there is someone other than father on your mind," she said before facing over the balcony. The King of Stormhold had been taken in by an illness and was showing no signs of recovering. But how long he would live was the question. It might be two days or it might be two decades. No one knew.

"And just how is it you know that I'm thinking of someone" he asked her, irritation in his voice.

Una chuckled. "I'm your twin sister, Septimus, not some stranger off the street," she said. "I think I would know when you're mind has wandered off."

Septimus rolled his eyes and turned his head away from his sister. At the moment, he did not want to look at her.

"So, who is it?" Una asked.

For a long time, the Prince did not answer his sister. He instead stared out over the vast land of Stormhold deep in thought. Finally, after a few minutes of pondering, he sighed deeply and answered his sister.

"First of all," he began. "You must promise me that you will not tell anyone. None of our brothers, not even father." Una nodded once and that was all Septimus need to know that she was not going utter a peep of what he was going to tell her. "Very well," he said. "She is a peasant, a healer for a small town two days ride west from the palace."

Una was silent for a few seconds before talking. "What's her name?" she asked.

"Cecilia," answered her brother.

Another silence followed and was held for several minutes until Una patted her bother on the shoulder and smiled warmly. "Well, best of luck to you both, I say," she told him. Septimus gawked at her as she pushed herself away from the railing and started walking back into his bedroom. "Of course, I would like to meet her before anything serious happens. As your twin sister, I feel like I need to approve her first." She then took her brother by the hand and pulled him close to her in a tight hug. Septimus frowned at this but otherwise let it happen. Hugs were not something he liked but when it came from his sister there was really nothing he could do.

And just as soon as she wrapped her arms around him, she let go and left the room, leaving Septimus staring blankly at the door to where she disappeared through with many things to ponder. Since when was he courting anyone?

**A/N: Sorry this one took so long for how short it is. I've been busy with school work and suddenly I've been going out to parties every weekend. I keep getting invited so I go. Sorry. Maybe the next chapter will come out a bit faster. Though I haven't even started it yet.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okaaaayyyyy...Sorry for the loooooong, delay. My mind can be very mean. i.e. getting distracted, school, video games, constantly creating new stories, wanting to write these new stories, new drawing ideas, and drawing these ideas. Sorry, and hopefully this chapter makes up for it. **

**And thank you all for all the reviews and encouragement! I really needed it, as you can tell. But it worked! I got this chapter done :D**

Chapter 5—The Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean

Supper was quick and silent for the youngest of the seven princes of Stormhold. It had been weeks since he had left the castle and his legs had been itching to get out and go riding for days now. Tonight was the night. He was to quickly eat his supper with his brothers and sister, feign tiredness, and leave quickly. That was the easy part. It was sneaking down to the stables without being seen that was going to be the hard part.

Finishing his meal as quickly as he could without causing suspicion, Septimus told his brother's he was going to bed and left the table. Luckily for him, his chambers were on the way to the stables and it was easy to fool his brothers. When he reached the end of the corridor, instead of turning right into his bed chamber, he turned left and down a flight of spiral stairs to the ground floor of the palace. Dismounting the stairs, he strode quickly out the door to the courtyard and walked straight to the stables. There he passed several stalls with many horses until he came across his own midnight black stallion.

A bridal hung on a nail posted on a wooden column by his stallion's stall. He grabbed it and entered the stall, quickly and silently placing the bridal over his horse's snout; careful not to bump the metal bit on its teeth. As he led the horse out of the stall, he shut the gate behind his stallion's rump and tied the reins to a tether post at the other end of the stable. It was when he went to grab the saddle and blanket from their places along the wall of the stables that he heard someone enter behind him.

"I thought I had asked you to take me with you when you go to see Cecilia," a mischievous female voice sounded from behind him.

Septimus spun around on his toes to come face to face with his twin sister. He frowned at her and hefted the blanket and saddle over his shoulder. "And I thought I never mentioned courting anyone or giving you any reason to come with me," he retorted as he set the saddle on the ground leaning it against the horn as he placed the blanket on his stallion's bare back.

Una let out a slight chuckle. "You may not think you have, but you did." Her brother glared at her questioningly. "It's in your eyes, all in the way you've been acting ever since you've returned home. You like her, that much is certain."

Septimus paused in the middle of placing the saddle over the blanket. He stopped, turned to stare at his sister. "What makes you say that?" he asked.

This time the only daughter of Stormhold released a hearty laugh. "Septimus, dear brother!" she quirked. "I'm a woman, am I not? And I'm your twin sister. I have had many experiences with men and I have become well attuned to the sense of when a man is interested in a woman."

The seventh son stared at his sister for a moment before silently placing the saddle on his horse's back. The stables were uncomfortably quiet and the only sound that could be heard was that of the prince cinching the saddle tight across his stallion's belly before tying the saddle knot.

Finally, after several minutes of eerie silence, Septimus turned to Una. "Okay, if you're going to come with me, you have to saddle your own horse. Don't be asking me for help."

Una's face lit up just like a young child's on Christmas morning and she ran off to grab her own horse; a young, dapple-gray mare. "Thank you, brother!" she cried as she grabbed the bridal from where it hung on the wooden column.

Septimus shook his head. This was going to be a long trip.

xxxxx

It was more of a nagging hunch than suspicion that made the second Son of Stormhold follow his brother from the supper table. However, the fact that Una was quick to follow Septimus was more than enough to perk Secundus's suspicions of his siblings. Still in the middle of his meal, the second brother wiped his mouth with his napkin, placed it on his plate over his half-eaten dinner and left the table.

Secundus was never one to trifle with Septimus. He knew his brother's potential with a blade and given his families violent traditions, feared that one day it would soon rival and possibly surpass his own. With a case of paranoia that could not allow that to ever happen, Secundus took to watching his youngest brother's every move, keeping a schedule of his habits, and taking note of every change in mood or behavior. Unfortunately, lately Septimus had been away from the palace a lot more than usual and with his now sudden need to go to bed early and his twin sister soon following not a moment behind him, things were looking rather out of sorts. Secundus did not like that. Secundus did not like that at all.

Running through the corridors of the palace, the second son arrived at his brother's bedroom door only to find it slightly ajar with enough room to peek in for a glance at the bed. There was no one, not even a crudely placed lump of pillows that might possibly pass as a sleeping man. The bed was neatly made and tucked in which raised Secundus's suspicions immensely. Leaving the door, he ran to the only other place he would think his brother to be; the stables.

As he silently jogged across the courtyard, Secundus could hear voices coming from the stables. Ducking down so the two inside could not see him if they looked out the window, the second son of Stormhold hid himself against the side of the wooden building just in time to see Septimus and Una leave the stables, each with a saddled horse trailing behind them. A heavy purse hung strapped to Septimus's belt indicating that he was planning on traveling for more than one day…again.

Quickly deciding on a plan, Secundus bolted into the stables. Ignoring the quiet rumbling in his stomach that reminded him that he had not finished his supper, he found his own horse, saddled it up, and quickly followed a good distance behind his brother and sister.

_Where are you going, brother? _He thought to himself.

xxxxx

Cecilia sat wearily on the beach sand just below the small cliffs next to her cottage. She enjoyed listening to the soft crashing of the waves as they came in through the breaker and hit the smooth sand of the coast, the smell of the salty water that blew in with the spray to cool her face, and the feel of the cool water hitting her skin and soothing her aching feet as tiny sand grains whirled about her toes and ankles. Even though she could not see the full beauty of the vast ocean, she still had the luxury of experiencing every other aspect of it which in her mind, was much more beautiful.

As the sound of yet another crashing wave rolled in on the sand, the blind healer smiled as she felt the cold water engulf her body and almost laughed when she felt it trying to pull her out with it into the endless sea. Leola was nearby with their horse and by the sound of things, she was enjoying herself very much. Cecilia could hear the sound of the horse's hooves splashing through the salty seawater pass in front of her every few minutes and the blind healer could feel joy for the girl when she called out merrily from the back of the horse.

But soon Cecilia heard something out of place. It was not a change in the waves, nor in Leola's riding. It definitely wasn't the wind due to the fact of the calm weather, and she soon realized that the sound was coming from behind her. Frowning, she turned her head around as if she would be able to see whatever it was that caused the strange noise.

As the sound grew in volume, the cause of it became more apparent to her ears. Feet; someone was walking up to her from the cliffs. But as that person came closer, Cecilia realized that it was not just one person, but two. Then the sound of a sword clanking against a belt resounded in her ears and she smiled. She knew exactly who was there.

"Greetings Septimus," she said, turning her head back around to face the salty sea air. "And Septimus's companion. May I inquire as to your name?"

Cecilia could hear whispering behind her that sounded suspiciously like: "I thought you said she was blind?" and "How did she know there were two of us?" The healer smiled at the questions.

"My name is Una," said a female voice behind Septimus. "I am Septimus's twin sister."

Standing up, Cecilia felt her way across the slippery ground with her toes and approached the two siblings. "Really?" she asked, not sure which one of the two she was walking up to. "I didn't know Septimus had a sister, let alone a twin."

The Prince's deep voice sounded from her right and she cocked her head in his direction. "And I didn't know you actually came down to the beach. I guess we're both bad at communicating."

Cecilia smiled at him. "I don't normally," she replied. "But Leola wanted to go and I had nothing to do so I couldn't refuse her. I usually try and shy away from water because I can't swim."

A surprised voice came from Una at the healer's left. "You can't swim?" she asked.

She shook her head. "No. I've been an orphan all my life so I never had anyone to teach me."

There was a silence for a few moments that made the healer a bit uncomfortable not knowing what was happening but it was not long before Septimus spoke again.

"Then we must teach you," he said in a flat voice.

Cecilia wasn't sure but she thought she was getting a feeling of dread deep in the pit of her stomach.

xxxxx

It felt strange floating in the bay, unable to see with nothing under her feet but water and Septimus's and Una's hands helping hold her up. Every muscle in her body was tensed and she was almost frantic in the way she kicked and paddled the water with her arms. Unable to see and unable to feel anything but water all the way up to her neck, Cecilia was near on the verge of panicking. Every time the swells rose and splashed her chin she half expected a big wave to crash on top of her and drown her. If it were not for Septimus and Una keeping her afloat, she probably would have panicked and most likely drown.

"Septimus, are you sure this is such a good idea?" she asked, not sure which arm he was holding on to. She heard a chuckle to her left.

"Relax, Cecilia." By the sound of his voice, she assumed he was smiling. "Una and I both swim very well. I could do this in my heavy jacket and riding boots if I wanted to."

"Even so," she said, her voice beginning to shake. "Would it be okay if we took a break? This is making me very uncomfortable." There was silence for a moment. Cecilia didn't know what was going on even though Una's and Septimus's hands never left her. Maybe they glanced at each other. Or maybe they were silently deciding what to do. Either way, the overly long silence made her insides churn.

"Alright," she heard Una say. "We'll head back to shore." Both she and her brother took a hold of Cecilia's waist and helped her back through the waves to the warm beach. It was tough going back. Una and Septimus made her attempt to swim the entire way. She tried, she really did, but to her it seemed it was more their arms supporting her that got her back more than her actually swimming.

The waves didn't help her either. With each rising swell, she struggled to stay afloat. As the waves rose and fell, they receded back into the open ocean, making returning to shore quite difficult. If it weren't for Septimus and Una, she would have drowned long before she made it to shore. When they finally made it, Cecilia relished in the feel of the soft sand beneath her feet. She inwardly rejoiced and exhaustedly sat on the warm sand and let the sun dry off her wet dress.

She heard Una and Septimus sit down on either side of her, but did not pay them much attention choosing instead to listen to the waves and the approach of Leola atop their horse. She heard the soft snort of the horse, its hooves shifting restlessly in the sand, and little bare feet hit the beach when Leola arrived.

"How was your swimming lesson?" the girl asked. The sound of sand shifting came to Cecilia's ears as her apprentice walked towards her and the Stormhold twins.

Cecilia shuddered at the memory, but shrugged it off before she answered. "It was unnerving," was all she said.

"She did alright," Una's voice said from her left. "For her first time, anyway."

"She does need more practice, though," came Septimus's voice, but Cecilia ignored him. She had heard a quiet shuffle behind her and she turned around suddenly in the direction she heard it in.

"What is it?" Septimus asked. The direction of his voice told her that he had turned to search for whatever it was she had heard. She shushed him and held up her hand, straining her already acute ears for anything else that gave away their intruder. She felt Septimus's hand on her fingers and felt a little comforted at his touch, but was still uneasy with the feeling of someone watching them. When several minutes when by with no sound, she unfurled her eyebrows and turned back around. She hadn't even realized she had been frowning. Turning back around to face the ocean, she shrugged.

"Must have been nothing," she said to the silent three around her. But she didn't entirely believe her own words.

xxxxx

Secundus huddled behind a rock, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. He didn't move, not even to make his position more comfortable. He held his hand over his mouth, trying desperately to calm his breathing. The blind bitch had heard him, and if he made even the slightest sound, he was dead. Septimus would kill him, there was no doubt in his mind that he would.

The few minutes that passed seemed like an eternity and he almost sighed in relief when he heard the peasant woman shrug off what she had heard. Secundus mentally scolded himself for trying to get a better look over the boulder. His silent attempt had turned into a not-so-silent attempt when his booted foot had slipped in the sand and he quietly cursed as he had slid back down into the sand. Silently cursing his stupidity, he now had to wait until everyone on the beach returned to the hut at the top of the cliffs.

He thanked whatever god existed when the group left the beach soon after hearing his slip. Once they were at the top of the cliff, he left his hiding place and hopped onto his saddle horse he had left at the edge of the woods and rode off. His brothers and father had to hear of this.

**A/N: Hmmmm, what is this going to do? Bet you anything, Septimus is in troooouuublllllle lol Hopefully I get the next chapter up in good time so that you all can find out (and I can as well haha)**

**Review please! They help me finish! ;)**


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